Buttons and Lace (Buttons 1)

The guard left it there the night before.

And now it was mine.

I held it in my hands and started to hyperventilate. Finally, I had a weapon to use. I could take someone down, steal a gun, and then be free. Luck was on my side, and I never thought I’d be grateful that man had tried to rape me.

He gave me a gift.

I carefully placed it in my back pocket, the base sticking out so I could grab it when I needed to. They would come for me soon. Breakfast time was about to be announced.

I stared at the door and waited patiently.

My time was here.

I was breaking out.

I was so close.

The door opened, and a guard walked in. The expression he gave me was full of indifference, not lust like some of the others. He either found me boring or annoying—probably both. “Get up.”

I rose to my feet and kept my arms by my sides. When I was close enough, I would strike.

“Today is your special day.”

What did that mean? “How so?”

“You’re going to the auction. You have no idea how lucky you are.”

Auction? Hell no, I wasn’t. I wasn’t a farm animal. “What’s the auction for?” I kept him talking so I could sneak up on him when he didn’t expect it. I need to aim right for his carotid artery, getting the drug into his system as fast as possible.

“It’s where they sell the beauties. The others will go to the whorehouses. They’ll spend the remainder of their lives drugged.” He grinned like it was a fairy tale.

It disgusted me. I couldn’t wait a moment longer, so I struck. I slammed the needle and pressed my thumb on the lever, releasing the drug instantly.

He reached for his gun, but I was too fast. His eyes became hooded and heavy, confused. He slowly fell to his knees, gripping the needle sticking out of his neck. He fell back, and his eyes closed. His body went limp as he passed out.

I actually did it.

I took the gun from the holster and felt the weight in my hand. It was a pistol. I didn’t know a damn thing about guns other than the fact that there was a safety. I made sure that was unlocked before I went into the hall. All I had to do was pull the trigger, and their brains would be smeared across the wall.

My hand shook from the excitement.

I might make it out of here.

I tiptoed down the hall and tried not to make a sound. The best way to get off the ship was to go up. If I made it to the surface, I could jump into the water. I’d rather deal with sharks than madmen like this.

By a stroke of luck, I didn’t meet anyone in the hallway. A stairway was to my left, and I took it to the top. I reached a door with a window in the center, and I spotted two men inside the tower that held the steering wheel. They were talking to each other, not noticing my face directly in front of them. I realized my cell was located at the front of the ship, where the waves were more prominent.

Now all I had to do was wait. When they turned around or left their post, I would make a beeline for the water. All I had to do was jump in and stay underwater for a minute or so.

Then I was in the clear.

I held the gun at the ready, just in case I needed to use it. Then I waited, measuring time by counting the beats of my heart. The closer we got to shore, the easier it would be for me to swim to safety. But the longer I waited, the more likely it was I would meet someone on the stairway.

And then I realized something else.

What about the others?

Could I really just leave them?

They would be sold to a brothel where they would constantly be drugged and raped, and then tossed aside when their bodies gave out. Their loved ones would never know what happened to them.

I couldn’t just leave.

I snuck back down the stairs and entered the hallway. There was no one around, so I crept to a door that looked similar to my own. When I peered inside, I saw a blonde woman sitting on her bed. She looked lost, like there was no hope.

I tried the knob and was relieved when it opened. I cracked it then waved at her.

She turned to me, her eyes narrowing in shock.

I nodded for her to come to me.

She jumped to her feet, hungry for freedom. When she came close to me, she saw the gun in my hand. Instead of being afraid, she was invigorated.

“Let’s get the others,” I whispered. “Do you know where they are?”